Texas orders Dallas-based charter and five others to close next year

The state on Thursday ordered a Dallas-based charter school and five others to close under a new law that cracks down on charter operators with chronic problems.

The Texas Education Agency said it will revoke the charters of Honors Academy and the five other schools in June. The schools can appeal the decision in the meantime.

Charter schools are publicly funded and privately run. They’re given greater flexibility and room to innovate. In return, they’re supposed to deliver results.

The state has closed charters before for fiscal mismanagement, dismal test scores and other problems. But there’s new urgency. A law enacted this year requires the state to close charters after three straight years of poor academic or financial performance.

“Schools that aren’t meeting the needs of kids, whether traditional or charter, ought to be closed down,” said David Dunn, executive director of the Texas Charter Schools Association. “It’s critical that we keep the needs of students uppermost in mind.”

The education agency expects some charter operators to appeal the decision, spokeswoman Debbie Ratcliffe said. The schools will remain open during the spring, giving charter operators time to appeal — and students and their families time to explore other options for next school year.

The superintendent of Honors Academy said he will file an appeal. The charter school has 775 students on seven campuses around the state. They’ve made steady progress despite three years of poor academic ratings, said John Dodd, superintendent of Honors Academy.

“We’re asking TEA to continue to let us do what we’re doing, because it’s working,” said Dodd, a former Farmers Branch mayor and Dallas ISD trustee.

The other five schools that the state intends to close are:

American Youthworks in Austin.

Azleway Charter School in Tyler.

Jamie’s House Charter School in Houston.

Koinonia Community Learning Academy in Houston.

Richard Milburn Academy in suburban Houston.

The Texas Education Agency is already trying to revoke the charter of another Dallas school, Children First Academy, after concluding that hiring and staffing practices risked students’ safety. School leaders have appealed the state’s decision.

The new charter school law, Senate Bill 2, also makes it easier for high-performing charter schools to grow. And it allows the state to add more charter campuses in the coming years.

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